Design for Decades: Civic Buildings

U.S. Courthouse Flood Recovery and Renovation-Cedar Rapids, IA The renovation of the Cedar Rapids U.S. Courthouse not only expeditiously brought the building back into operation with energy-efficient equipment, it also reclaimed the historic interiors of the building-interiors that had been ravaged by floodwater and, as destructive, decades of insensitive, piecemeal renovation. The design team vastly improved the environmental performance of the building by installing highly efficient equipment and systems. Moreover, the team researched the building's original finishes and reconstructed them consistent with the original 1933 documents. As a result, this project did more than return the building to its pre-flood state, it recaptured the original splendor of this remarkable public building lost over 80 years of use, while simultaneously moving the building into the 21st century.
Architect: Paul Mankins, FAIA

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Renovation and Expansion- New York, NY The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is New York City's primary venue for trade shows, conferences, and special events. The project includes transforming the entry plaza into a pedestrian-friendly landscaped urban space; installing new entrances; recladding the entire building enclosure with a new high-performance curtain-wall and skylights; installing a highly sustainable 6.75-acre green roof, and adding new mechanical and electrical systems. The new cladding will allow visitors to see inside the center from the street, increasing transparency and contextual connectivity to the site. Skylights at the top of the Crystal Palace permit natural daylight to penetrate the Galleria, concourse, and below-grade exhibition spaces. New graphic and way-finding systems and painting the exposed steel structural system with light tones will improve visitor experience.
Architect: FXFOWLE EPSTEIN Javits II Architecture

Peter W. Rodino Federal Office Building Modernization-Newark, NJ The 16-story Peter W. Rodino office building was constructed in 1968 to house several federal agencies. The planned modernization will transform this important feature of downtown Newark into a dignified, inviting, and efficient federal facility. The existing loggia will be enclosed to provide a new entrance with state-of-the-art security and create a new public identity for the building. Obsolete space layouts, finishes, and building systems will be brought up to the current P-100 standards of the GSA. Components will be upgraded to conform to nonstructural seismic standards. The failing precast concrete façade will be repaired and overclad with new custom, high performance, blast resistant, glass curtain wall, creating a sustainable and secure double-skin facade.
Architect: Dattner Architects/Richard McElhiney Architects LLC

Durango Public Library-Durango, CO In 2005 Barker Rinker Seacat and DHM Design were selected to develop a conceptual master plan for the existing Mercy Medical Center site in downtown Durango to refine placement of a new main library and determine long-term use and development of the entire parcel. Extensive public workshops were held to build a community vision for the library, resulting in a building program of 42,800 square feet. Durango Public Library incorporates a promenade, connecting the entry to the river patio and upstairs mountain overlook while bringing daylight to the interior spaces. Key features include a raised floor system throughout for flexibility, automated book handling system, self check, café, cozy lounge, outside program and reading patios, homework center, Internet access and public meeting spaces.
Architect: Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture

Sixth Floor Museum Store + Café- Dallas, TX The SFM Store + Cafe is a small adaptive use project overlooking Dealey Plaza. The project provides an immersive retail environment for the museum's gift shop, including a 34-seat casual café. The design aims to work with the existing building--a turn of the century warehouse building-- in a'ship-in-a-bottle' strategy that touches the shell lightly with a clean lined and modern design that clearly differentiates new from existing. A new exterior sign carefully woven in the historic façade hints at the new interior. The angles present in the arrangement of program elements respond to the desire lines and views to the components of the museum's campus: the site of the event and the entry to the museum. Scarlet fragments of these visual frames appear as a motif that ties the diverse functions into a cohesive whole. The colorful design elements effectively establish a fresh look for the museum's branded image.
Architect: Corgan Associates

Boulder Regional Fire Training Facilities- Boulder, CO The 18,000-square-foot metal building is adjacent to the publically accessible Boulder Reservoir in Boulder County. The facility consists of a 10 acre fire training center including an administration building, burn building, drill tower and various training props. The sloping wedge form of the building rises from the bermed site perimeter to enclose higher volume spaces and second level classroom / observation hub, creating an iconic agrarian form respectful of its rural context.
Architect: Roth + Sheppard Architects/TCA Architecture Planning

CASA San Agustín Del Coquí-Aguas Buenas, PR As part of the mountainous area in one of the highest in Puerto Rico between the towns of Cidra and Aguas Buenas at (Barrio Sumidero) is this shelter for abused children. The program gathers in a single building to promote unity and preserve the green areas to achieve an ecological balance and peace with the place. A horizontal rectangle placed parallel to the hollows of the topography generates a step and a minimal footprint of intervention, ensuring that all areas look to the landscape. The structure is entered through the third level for a moderate perception of a building from the entry level. A folding roof gives presence to the entrance and public space on the site.
Architect: Miguel Calzada Arquitectos/Carlos A. Camacho

U.S. Courthouse-Laredo, TX The design for this new 148,000-square-foot federal courthouse draws on regional heritage as well as classic architectural elements to make a bold statement in the context of Laredo's existing civic architecture. To accommodate stringent security guidelines, the internal public spaces have all been oriented toward the building's rotunda and landscaped plaza, which also eases way-finding throughout the building. Three separate circulation systems were required: public, defendants in custody, and a private zone for judges, juries, and staff. The three functional elements are expressed as discrete forms. A long, narrow wing along the north houses office areas and optimizes sunlight; court spaces are in a three-story structure defining the east edge; and the entry lobby, including screening functions, is housed in a rotunda at the intersection of these two wings. Simple yet powerful monumental forms, elegantly detailed, express the permanence and dignity of the United States courts.
Architect: HDR Architecture

Mississippi Library Commission Headquarters-Jackson, MS A new, 60,000-square-foot facility was designed for the Mississippi Library Commission, a state library and service agency which serves all of the state's public libraries. The building houses a large reading room, a library for the blind and physically handicapped, a wide collection of books and media, staff offices, the state's library system data center and public spaces for meeting and education. Housed in a strip mall for 23 years, the organization was desperate to renew its public service mission and increase access to collections and services. Planning for the facility was comprehensive, and now in the first years of operation, the commission has been successfully renewed in a building that is well-loved. Marked increases in usage of services and collections have occurred.
Architect: Duvall Decker Arch-Burris/Wagnon

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Civic buildings should be places where citizens feel safe and welcomed, where they can grow and learn, and where they can strengthen their community ties. Designed by AIA members and featured in its Design for Decades initiative, the design projects featured in this slide show highlight the intersection of city government, community interaction, and public education--courthouses, federal office buildings, convention centers, children's shelters, and more--all demonstrating the lasting value of design.